The Delinquent Boyfriend
by ArtisteFish
Summary: Kagome knew she shouldn't be dating a 'bad boy'; between the bloody street-fights and the jealous tantrums, she supposed her friends were right to be concerned. But he'd shown her the world was nothing like she thought, and that labels never really fit. InuKag au, will be series of related oneshots.
1. An Unexpected Life

The Delinquent Boyfriend, an InuKag AU oneshot

*A 'What If' scenario inspired by all those conversations Kagome had with her friends in the present

* * *

The first time she'd seen him, bloodied and bruised and draped over the roots of the Sacred Tree, she'd had half a mind to call the police, and more than half a mind to run back to the house and pretend she never saw a thing. His clothes were those of a street-fighter, and everyone knew better than to get involved with the gangs. What he was doing in such a quiet suburb was beyond her, but with any luck he'd simply wander back out again, back to whatever trouble he'd left in the first place.

She'd only made it a step or so before turning back to investigate the stranger.

His wounds looked bad but he was breathing, and it seemed that most of the blood was dried. And then she saw his ears.

That quiet meeting under Goshinboku tore a hole in her comfortable understanding of the world to let in the demons she'd thought were only stories. There was an entire infrastructure beneath her own, made up of brutal gang alliances and webs of blackmailing, allowing demons to exist beneath the radar of modern Tokyo. And her half-demon, whom she'd bandaged under the blossoming tree as he weakly growled at her care, became her guide in this new reality.

With his help she learned to recognize the imposters in the crowd, the ones who masked themselves with human faces but felt completely different. He taught her what corners of the city to avoid, which shopping districts housed swindling demons, even how to defend herself should an enemy make it past her defenses. But most of all, he taught her to trust his strength; to trust that he'd always come to save her.

From the very first day everything had changed, drawing not only herself but her family into a world of danger. Her family adjusted rather well. On days when he told them it was too dangerous to leave the protected grounds of the shrine, her grandfather would call in sick for herself and her little brother. Her mother would set an extra place at the table for their protector, and at night would offer him a room and a blanket so he wouldn't have to sleep in the well-house as he'd been secretly doing. Her offer was kind, but a moot point; every night he'd slip into Kagome's room and hold a silent vigil while she slept, determined she'd be safe at all costs. He was her knight in a blood-stained jumpsuit, wielding a length of steel pipe like a sword as his long white hair draped his shoulders like an ancient god.

But his language was rough, his face often scowling, and Kagome got in more arguments with him than anyone she'd ever met. His stubborn attitude and tendency to say the wrong thing led to screaming matches loud enough to be heard from the street. When she discovered how jealous he could be, she had to stop for a moment and remind herself that her secret friend had demon blood; as she bodily held him back from beating the poor boy who tried to kiss her, it was clear what different lives they'd led.

He never hurt her though – ever – and when he'd stumble into the hallway trailing blood and trying not to whimper, she'd forget to be mad at him as she carefully led him to her bed and patched him up with trembling fingers.

Everything in her life had changed, but she kept most of it to herself. She was only a teenager though, and her patience only stretched so far before she needed somewhere to vent. Despite her blurry details, her friends caught on quickly that she was dating a delinquent. Well, dating wasn't quite the word, but then she couldn't really explain what their relationship was, even to herself. She'd blow off steam about him after a fight, and her three friends would push her to dump him, move on, find someone who would treat her better. 'Nothing good will come of this' they'd say, and secretly Kagome agreed; but there was no way she'd leave him now.

She supposed she could have told him off, could have ordered him to leave her and her family alone, to get them out of this mess of street-fights and demons so they could live a normal life. Someone else had said that to him, not long before. Kagome knew he wouldn't really leave though; he might stop coming for dinner, might stop talking with her at night, but she could see in his eyes how attached he was to them, and she knew he'd never leave her unprotected. None of that was pertinent though, because she simply didn't want him to leave.

It was terrifying to realize she loved him. A girl her age, in her situation, shouldn't have fallen in love with a 'Bad Boy'. No one would support them, no one would believe her when she said that his heart was good and true, that his values were just as strong as his muscles, that every fight he got into was fueled by love and concern for others and never blood-lust. They'd never know him like she knew him.

He surprised her though. Over the few years she'd known him he softened, opened up, came to trust others at least in part. He was learning to call people 'friends', and by the time her own friends finally met him, they wondered why Kagome had made such a fuss over such a cool guy.

Inuyasha surprised her even more when, one evening as she changed his bandages, he pulled her down for a kiss. She'd wrapped him in a hug that had him hissing in pain as she brushed a wound, and the rest of the night they'd kept their kisses soft and light as she leaned his bruised body against hers. Kagome didn't hesitate after that to own up to having a delinquent boyfriend, wearing her hickeys proudly as her classmates whispered and friends giggled. Rumors spread and some confronted her, but they had no idea what was going on, and she didn't care to enlighten them. All that really mattered was her warm half-demon holding her at night, his combat boots and blood-stained clothes on the floor beside her bed, as she played with his ears and he whispered how happy he was that they'd met.

* * *

*Author's Note: I love thinking about what it would have been like if Inuyasha really were a guy in a street-gang. I also really love the concept that goes along with that, which is that Kagome really would date someone labeled a 'bad boy' because as long as he's not actually a bad person, I think she would. She's the kind to look beyond what people do to see them for who they really are, and I love that! I also really love the idea of Kagome gaining a reputation for it and actually loving it, because she doesn't seem like the type to date a street-fighting gang member, but she likes to use to point out that you shouldn't judge people by appearances. Anyways... I really love this concept and I wish I had more time and energy to write more but I don't. :P


	2. Blood Bonds

~The Delinquent Boyfriend~

Blood Bonds

* * *

"What are you waiting for, Halfbreed? Finish him."

Inuyasha's yellow eyes peered through the dim light at the figure on the ground, his labored breathing the only sign of life. His fist clenched around the steel pipe in his grip, knuckles turning pale. He wished his brother's neck was in his fingers instead. Or perhaps his own. Gods, how had his life come to this?

"That was not a suggestion, little brother."

"He's going to die anyways" Inuyasha rasped, trying desperately to keep his temper in check despite the blood pounding in his ears. "What's the point now?"

"The point is that I refuse to allow pathetic weaklings to remain alive in my organization. So if you plan of seeing another day, you'll kill that man."

He'd heard that threat before; heard it levied against young punks who thought they were demon enough to live their life in a street gang. Most of the demons around him didn't think twice about killing: it wasn't work, it was pleasure. But some were too sheltered. They could do the threats, they could trail the targets, but when the blood started spurting out of wounds and the faces of victims looked more like butcher shop trash than flesh, they would finally crack. Sesshomaru never let it go on for long though; one threat and they either shaped up, or they joined the carnage. Inuyasha had seen so many kids meet their end this way… but he never learned his lesson.

"I don't much feel like being an executioner today" Inuyasha said, a deceptive lightness in his tone. He knew just how thin the ice was.

Sesshomaru didn't make a sound as he stepped up beside his brother, expression calm but voice dripping deadlier poison than his claws. "You don't do what you _feel_ like doing, halfbreed; you do what I tell you to. How many times must I remind you of that?"

"I don't think it took the first time" Inuyasha sneered, "Why don't you try it again?" He'd barely got the words out before Sesshomaru's hand was latched onto his throat, not yet tight enough to cause damage.

Inuyasha could see the demonic red bleeding into his half-brother's eyes, his fangs bared as he said darkly "Remember, Inuyasha: we do not. Show. Mercy."

"Then why don't you kill me?"

There was a beat of silence, and then the click of a gun, and Inuyasha felt the recoil as the shot fired past him, straight into the skull of the man on the floor. He'd barely time to realize he was unharmed as Sesshomaru shoved him away, his heavy combat boots sliding in the gore beneath his feet. The demons would be happy with cleanup tonight.

"Get out" Sesshomaru said briskly, his voice devoid of any emotion except annoyance, "before I remember what a fool our Father was."

Had he not already been running up the stairs, Inuyasha would have smirked; Father's promise had saved him yet again.

He wasn't far outside the compound before the Cleanup Squad arrived. Lesser demons with little chance of killing him, but enough to make him run; he could probably take them out, but it would waste time. He needed that time to escape. At least for now, at least for a little while, until his brother sent out his claws again to draw him back into their community from Hell, he could be alone. He could be free.

The demons chased him through every back alley and over every rooftop from the slums to the suburbs, and it wasn't until Inuyasha saw a patch of green among the buildings that he finally felt he could slow down. If they really wanted to stick around and fight a son of the Great Dog, they were welcome to him. But Inuyasha didn't expect so many to stay, or that they'd be so well-armed. He held his own for a little while, but they just kept coming, and he wondered what promises Sesshomaru had made them that could give cowards such drive. His purple jumpsuit was turning black with blood by the time he decided to run again. At least he had the advantage in the trees.

Inuyasha almost missed the trees thinning, coming to a quick halt at the very edge of a wooden fence, beyond which a stone courtyard spread out in all directions. He knew this was far too exposed for a half-demon like him, but the snarls of his pursuers were loud in his dog-ears, and he jumped the short partition with ease. His beaten body protested further movement, and he dared to glance behind him – only to see the demons cowering, silent, in the deep underbrush some ways off from the stones on the ground. For a moment his mind whirled over what kind of trick they could be playing, but then he saw the spirit wards, and a real grin made its way onto his face. "Looks like bein' a half-breed's got its perks, right guys?"

Withering glares were the last he saw of them as they slunk back into the forest shade, but Inuyasha didn't allow a sigh of relief until he could no longer hear the crunch of brush beneath their feet. The adrenaline wore off quickly after that, and he stumbled as he stood, his body demanding rest to repair itself. He gave his new sanctuary a once over, noticing the human temple and shrine gates. One of the sheds on the property might have offered some cover, but it was too much of a risk to be found. That's when he saw the tree. It was towering, ancient, with a canopy full of leaves and buds waiting to bloom, and thick branches with enough space between for a body. It looked like it'd been made for him. In a few bounds he was beneath it, and his legs bunched to take shelter in its boughs; but his legs never obeyed. Pushed to their limit from the chase across the city, his muscles gave out under him, and he fell in a heap over the gnarled roots of the mighty tree partially hidden behind a painted fence. His frustrated growls quieted and struggles ceased as he lay there, listening to the hum of the ground with one ear and the whistle of wind through the trees with the other. There was something oddly calming about this place, about this tree, and for the first time in a long time, Inuyasha felt safe enough to sleep.

A few hours later, when he awoke to find a pretty but strange black-haired school girl bending over him, a wet cloth in one hand and gauze in the other, he wondered how that safe-feeling only grew stronger. It didn't take long before he discovered that as long as he was around her, that feeling never left.

* * *

*Author's Note:

This fic will be individual stories in this au setting - all with a central plot outlined in the first chapter, but the individual chapters will be different moments from different times. This one, for example, is set right before Inuyasha and Kagome meet for the first time (or to be precise, this is what led up to them meeting)

I'm not sure what order these will be in, because it really just depends on what I feel like writing, but it should still be fun to read! :3

Thanks so much for the reviews so far! I'm really happy to see that other people like this concept as much as I do! :D and let's hope that next chapter has more InuKag fluffiness ;3


	3. A little TLC

The Delinquent Boyfriend

Chapter 3: A little TLC

*This particular moment in time happens somewhere near the end of the first chapter. A bit of a confusing format, but I'm not really writing these in any particular order.

* * *

"I can do that myself, ya know."

Kagome didn't look away as she continued wrapping his arm in guaze. "You never do it tight enough" she answered, ignoring his huff.

"S'not like I even need it" Inuyasha mumbled after a pause, glancing over to watch the hands that so expertly bandaged the gash on his bicep. The truth was that he loved to have her care for him, to feel her soft hands paying such tender attention to his injuries. He wondered if anyone else in the street gangs had care as good as this. Probably not, since none of them had Kagome.

"Whether you need it or not, I don't want you bleeding on my bed." He caught her bright eyes and teasing smile, and he knew she understood exactly why he sat there, letting her patch up even superficial wounds. Her wrapping finished, she rubbed his arm lightly, massaging the muscle and staring off with a pensive look on her face.

Inuyasha didn't like that look on her; it was sad and drawn, and he was pretty sure he knew the reason for it. Moving his limb out of her gentle grasp, he reached forward to tuck a clawed finger under the bow at the neck of her high school uniform, guiding her closer till he could peck a light kiss at the corner of her mouth. "Thanks" he mumbled, and she smiled softly as he pulled away. But the smile didn't last long before the corners fell into a frown, and she said "So who'd you fight this time?"

"A stupid lizard" he responded with a scowl, "from my own gang. Damn thing started in on me for being a half-breed. Said I had no right to be counted with them – as if Sesshomaru gives a rat's ass about vermin like him either." His yellow eyes flicked to see her looking at him with genuine sympathy, and he looked away quickly. "I was gonna let it go; he weren't worth my time. But then he started on about my mother. So I decked him, and he went down, but he'd brought a posse. You can bet it weren't too hard to win, but they got some good hits on me too."

"I'm glad you're alright" she said, her hand coming up to brush through his hair. Her fingers teased through the spot where human ears would have been before letting them slip through the long strands of white. "I hate that they do this to you. They should appreciate what you do for them."

"What?" he responded with a laugh, "cause them trouble, ruin their rep? I don't think they really owe me much of anything."

"You keep them hidden though" she answered, her tone serious and somewhat stern, "You fight demons who want to take over. You keep them from blowing the cover that everyone's worked so hard to build."

"It ain't noble or nothin'" Inuyasha said in an almost bashful tone, "we just wanna be left alone."

" _They_ do" Kagome said softly, meeting his gaze as she brought her other hand up to drape her arms over his shoulder, "but I don't think _you_ like being alone half as much as you say you do."

His growl held no bite as his hands found her waist and he pulled her closer from her spot beside him on the bed. "Think you know so much, don't ya? Why would I wanna spend time with silly humans like you?" His rough words were undermined by the gentle way he nuzzled her neck, and she smiled and clung tighter to him, but something was still dampening her mood.

"Why do you stay with them?"

Inuyasha lifted his head to meet her sad eyes with his own bewildered ones. "Where the hell else am I supposed to go?"

"I don't know" she answered too quickly, "but they treat you so horribly. I know you don't mind the fighting – I don't either, as long as you're okay – but when you're having to fight _them_ as well…. You shouldn't have to go through that."

"You worry too much about me" he said quietly, turning away to avoid seeing that worry all over her face, "They're the only ones willing to have me. They still provide for me you know. I owe them."

"You owe me too."

Inuyasha snapped his attention back onto the girl, now watching him with a quiet determination. "I saved your life the day I found you. You owe me."

He couldn't respond for a moment, taken aback by the intensity in her words, but finally he found a smirk, and pulled her up againt him, leaning down to whisper in her ear "Ain't I deliverin'?"

"A life for a life" she responded, not missing a beat. "Isn't that how it works? They gave you a place to be, so I guess for now you have to fill that place. But I gave you back your life, so in return…"pulling back, she met his gaze and said firmly "I want that life all to myself."

"Greedy little thing, aren't you?" he teased, closing the gap between their mouths for a brief kiss.

"I learned it from you" she whispered back, and Inuyasha couldn't resist capturing her mouth again for a little something stronger. Just as he felt her fingers digging into the fabric over his shoulders, he pulled back to catch his breath, breathing out against her lips "You're right. Fair is fair, and my life's all yours. But I can't deliver just yet." He pulled back to watch her blearily open her eyes, her gaze falling back to linger on his lips, and he smirked. "For now I still gotta fight for these bastards. At least until I can prove myself; make something of my name. You understand that, don't'ya?"

Kagome nodded, her gaze narrowing a bit. He could tell she didn't like it, but she understood. "Someday though…" he continued, making sure to lock eyes with her before continuing "someday I'll show up at your door with my life in my own two hands, ready to hand over to you." The shadows in her eyes cleared as she blinked at him, a happy smile pulling up her lips. "In the meantime" Inuyasha said, his grin becoming less confident, "you can figure out what you want to do with it. You won't have to have a street-punk for a boyfriend forever.

He was completely caught by surprise as suddenly he was looking down at Kagome, her black hair spilling across her pink sheets and her eyes shining as she pulled him on top of her. "And who says I don't want a punk?" Her hands grabbed his forelocks of hair and pulled his lips to meet hers, tracing her tongue against his skin until his brain caught up and he joined in her kiss. She had to push him away to catch her breath, but her smile remained. "Don't you know that I like you as you are? You're my bad boy."

It was moments like this that forced Inuyasha to stop and think and savor the life he was living. A few years ago, he was struggling in every fight, desperately trying to meet the demands of his brother's gang, always fearing they'd toss him out into the savage demon world. Now… now he had Kagome. He had _everything_. His mouth dropped down to her throat, kissing the soft skin feverishly as he worked to give her the hickey's he knew she loved. Not that he cared for anyone to know what they did in private, but he liked to leave a sign for the boys at her school to see that she was taken. The usually true rumors her friends and classmates spread about him made it so 'taken' was never construed as anything but 'off-limits on pain of death'. And since all her mother ever said about it was an occasional teasing remark… well, what reason did he have to deny her? At the sounds she made beneath him while he left his mark on her sensitive skin, he had no desire to deny her anything.

"I wonder what they'll say tomorrow" Kagome said breathily, one hand cradling his head to her and the other sweeping across the muscles of his back.

Inuyasha chuckled against her, saying between kisses "They'll probably say 'Wow… that girl's boyfriend must love her a lot'."

Kagome's giggles turned into a squeak as he began to focus on the dip in her throat, his clawed fingers coming up to pull the blue bow from her uniform, widening the gaping of her collar. "They're… getting used to it though" she said between heavy breaths, "they've started saying other things."

"Oh?" He mused, distracted by the buttons of her school blouse.

"They're saying you probably have black hair."

"Not for another two nights."

"And that you're covered in tattoos."

"Morons. Don't they know that demon skin don't hold ink?"

"They're also saying you must be made of money."

"If only" Inuyasha said sourly, pushing the shirt off her shoulders but not any further. He'd wait for her move before continuing. His lips came back up to hers and caught her in a searing kiss, causing a moan to travel from her mouth to his as she pulled him closer.

"You don't need it" she whispered as he finally pulled away, "You're perfect just the way you are."

"Perfect don't exist" he grumbled, but as her legs hooked around his and he bit back a groan at her closeness, he was seriously reconsidering his views on perfection. This was pretty damn close.

* * *

*Author's Note:

This has been sitting around on my computer for ages now… not sure why it took me so long to post it. Hopefully I'll get some more inspiration for further chapters of this au, but for now this is all I have. Big thanks to the people who have left reviews and favorited and such! :D You're all awesome!


	4. Genghis Khan

~The Delinquent Boyfriend~

Chapter Four: A little bit Genghis Khan

* * *

The sickening taste of copper filled Inuyasha's mouth as he reeled from the punch, massaging his jaw as he eyed his opponent. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the dirty concrete of the alleyway while the scaly demon across from him laughed. That should have been enough to get his blood pumping; he should have been enraged that such a weak demon thought it had the upper hand on _him_. But he was too numb to feel any of that.

Scaly and snarling, the demon slithered closer to him, reeling its muscled arms back for another hit. Inuyasha's feeble block sent him flat on his back with barely enough time to see the demon rush up on him to deliver a killing blow. Scoffing, the half-demon coiled his leg and gave a powerful kick that sent the demon soaring to hit the back wall of the alley. A wet cracking told him he'd managed to break a few of his opponent's ribs, but that wasn't enough to stop a demon. Hissing, it got back up onto claw-toed legs, its thick tail swishing in agitation, and rushed Inuyasha with the obvious intent to kill. Inuyasha barely moved as he slashed the approaching demon with his claws, leaving it bleeding out and gasping for air among the trash littering the alleyway.

He approached with slow steps, stopping beside the demon's paling face and looking down at it with feigned disinterest and muted self-loathing. Inuyasha watched for a moment more as the monster drew in rasping breaths, its inhuman eyes scrunched against the pain as it pawed wearily at its wounds. "Yeah…" he muttered, unable to look away from the gruesome scene he had created, "that's about how I feel, too." Before he could think about it anymore, his foot shot out and the demon's neck snapped at the force of his kick, killing it instantly. Sesshomaru would be pleased to hear he'd actually completed the job. The thought made him retch.

With a last glance back at the shadowed corpse, Inuyasha sprung to the roof casting the alley in shadows; scavengers would be by any minute to clean up the mess, and he wanted to be long gone before they decided he'd make a good meal too. Shielding his golden eyes against the harsh afternoon sun, Inuyasha pondered what to do. He could go report to Sesshomaru, or he could go back… to her. His chest tightened and stomach churned as he remembered what had brought him out here to fight in the first place.

He'd spent the night in the old well-house again. It was quiet and sturdy, and far enough away from Kagome and her family that he didn't feel as much like a stalker as usual. Of course they knew he was there, even if they pretended to be surprised every time he bothered to knock on the front door. They were accepting, like Kagome. At least… he'd thought she was accepting.

He thought she liked having him around. He thought she accepted that he liked a good fist fight. He thought she understood that she was special to him, and that no one got to challenge that. He thought she knew and accepted that too.

But then she showed up at home after school with a bashful looking boy in tow, all smiles and misty eyes and sweet words. Not that he had any evidence, but he'd always assumed that wasn't her type. He watched from the shadows of the well house as the young man held her hand lightly in his, saying something about a date and how happy he was she'd accepted. Sure he was hearing things, Inuyasha waited where he was, certain Kagome would set the human boy straight: she wasn't available. Only she didn't say anything of the kind. With a nervous smile, she leaned forward, and Inuyasha watched in shock as she softly kissed the boy on the cheek. The goofy grin that spread across his face had Inuyasha seeing red, and the second that brown-haired boy lifted his arms to encircle Kagome's waist, the half-demon pounced. He was between the boy and Kagome so fast that both looked shocked to see him. In one move he had a handful of the boy's shirt and had lifted him off the ground, snarling in his face with the most menacing look he could muster. Kagome's small hands tugged at his arms, but he ignored her. "I don't know who you are" he ground out, making sure to show the punk his fangs, "but stay the HELL away from Kagome!" The boy was obviously terrified, shaking and hyperventilating as Inuyasha held him aloft.

"Inuyasha, knock it off! What do you think you're doing?" She came around to try and pry his clawed fingers from the bastard, and he only let go for fear of her nicking her delicate skin on his claws. The boy fell in a heap on the ground, rubbing at the back of his neck, unable to stand as his body adjusted to the shock of his meeting with the stone slabs of the shrine grounds. Before Inuyasha could go after him again, Kagome placed herself between them, blocking the half-demon from his prey. He snarled in her pretty face, and she glared in return without the slightest hint of fear. "Hurry up and get out of here Hojo. Don't worry about me."

"B-but Kagome…"

"I'm perfectly safe. Go on – I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Her casual attitude toward the situation only set Inuyasha off more, and by the time Hojo was stumbling back down the shrine steps to the street, he was ready to explode. "Who's the wimp?"

"My new boyfriend" she replied without missing a beat, and Inuyasha felt something inside him wither. "Our friends set us up, but he's a nice guy, so I said yes. I didn't have a reason not to." Her burning eyes turned away from him to stare off at the ancient God-Tree. "Besides, after everything that's happened recently, they all agreed he'd be good for me."

She wouldn't look at him as she said that. Her eyes fell as she fiddled absently with her nails, as though the subject bored her. He couldn't stand it… but what could he do?

There was nothing he could say to her, and so he fled. He'd run away with bitterness and pain welling in his heart, and he couldn't do a thing about it, because really, she'd been right. What reason did she have not to date a safe, human boy? He'd certainly never given her any. He cursed himself left and right at the realization that it was really his own fault. If he'd been able to offer himself to her… would she have turned down the date? Would she have even accepted him in the first place? 'He'd be good for me….' Her words haunted him as he ran, rang in his head as he fought the demon, and now they propelled him forward, back to the only place he could really call home… even though it didn't feel so homey now.

* * *

The front door had never felt so heavy as Kagome shuffled into the entryway. Kicking off her shoes and leaving them where they lay, she forced a smile back on her face and ventured inside to greet her mother, already calling to her from the kitchen. The sight of the woman flitting to and fro in the kitchen made the smile a little more real – her mother was ever the picture of normalcy. She envied her a little. Kagome watched the domestic dance until with a glance over her shoulder, her mother noticed the young woman leaning heavily against the door frame.

"Welcome home, Kagome! How was your day?"

The pleasant familiarity of the question threw her off her guard, and she found herself answering "Fine" before she could really reflect on her day at all. Her day hadn't been 'fine' after all, and Kagome didn't like lying to her mother. But then… she didn't really know how to explain what had only just occurred out on their very yard. She had tried not to think about it herself.

With the sixth sense only a mother possessed, the older Higurashi turned to her daughter with thoughtful eyes, still smiling but subdued. "Did anything interesting happen today?"

'Interesting' was putting it lightly. Forcing what she hoped was a happy face, Kagome replied lightly "I guess you could say that…."

"Oh?" was her mother's only response, but Kagome understood all the same.

Mustering all her courage, she managed a small laugh as she explained "I got a new boyfriend today…"

The clash of metal on wood and her mother's excited squeal filled the room as the older woman rushed forward to squeeze Kagome tightly. Getting over the initial shock of the reaction, her ears caught her mother's voice babbling up a storm in her excitement. "Oh that's so wonderful, dear! But then I was wondering when the two of you would finally realize it! I honestly can't believe it's taken this long! Ooh, I can't wait to see him tonight! By the way, where'd he go? He better not be avoiding me, the silly boy! It's a good thing I made extra tonight – we'll have to have a feast to celebrate! You know your brother's going to be so excited! Oh Kagome, I'm so happy for the both of you!"

Kagome listened with growing horror as her mother pranced about the kitchen, checking and double checking the food and practically glowing. The dagger already embedded in her heart from that afternoon twisted a little harder.

"Mom… wait."

Only the morose tones of her daughter could have brought Mrs. Higurashi down from Cloud 9, and she turned expectant eyes on a cringing Kagome.

"Mom, who do you think it is I'm dating?"

Her mother looked a bit lost, glancing about the kitchen absently as if it could give her the answer… or as if her answer might come sauntering through the door. "Well… Inuyasha, of course."

'Of course' Kagome thought, feeling the dagger pull out to let her heart bleed out at her feet. 'Why couldn't it have really been 'of course'?

"Actually Mom… it's… it's, uh… not him. Hojo – a boy from school. He's really nice."

"… Oh." She'd never seen a look like that on her mother. Even when she'd first pulled the bloodied, dog-eared delinquent into their living room, her mother's shock had only lasted a brief instant before worry and child-like curiosity took its place. "That's… good." Awkwardly tapping her metal stirring spoon on a kitchen glove, Mrs Higurashi regained her happy expression and said softly "Really, that's wonderful news, dear! I hope he makes you happy!"

For a moment Kagome was left floundering: how could she respond to that? She didn't know yet if Hojo would make her happy… that was the whole reason she'd agreed to go out with him in the first place. To see if she'd be happier with him, than with….

"Thanks… I'm just… gonna go rest for a while. Let me know when dinner's ready, 'kay?"

"Kagome, wait."

She couldn't turn back to face her mother, but paused to hear a quietly asked "Did you… tell Inuyasha yet?"

"He knows." Imaged of his livid expression, the hurt and betrayal in his eyes flashed across Kagome's mind, and her hand clenched where it still held the doorframe. "And I don't think he'll be coming around anymore."

"But… Kagome, what happened?"

Her only answer was the pounding of her feet as she escaped to her room, biting her cheek to keep the torrent of angry tears at bay.

* * *

Inuyasha wasn't ready for how fast he arrived at the Higurashi Shrine. The sight of the courtyard alone set him fuming again as he relived the scene, and a gutless sort of despair washed over him at the thought that things might never be the same for them again. He didn't think he could handle a life without Kagome. How he'd managed to make it so far in life without her, he'd never know.

That was why he'd come back – to try and fix whatever it was they had in any way he could. Scenarios of making up had come and gone, none of them seeming likely. He'd practiced saying sorry a million times over in his head, but there was an ever present fear that the words would never make it past his tongue. Inuyasha had never said them before. He'd never wanted to.

He approached the house on silent feet, glancing at her corner window and contemplating taking the quickest path to pain. But then… what if she threw him out? If she really had a boyfriend now, she probably wouldn't appreciate him barging into her private space like that. Anger shot through his veins at that; it had never bothered her before, so why should it now? He was poised to jump, thigh muscles coiled to spring, but then… he pictured her face on his arrival: angry, shocked, repulsed by his invasion of her privacy, and he just couldn't do it. If only to himself, he could admit that he was hurting, and rejection by her now might just break him. Inuyasha straightened, brushing a clawed hand through his unruly hair, and took a long, shaky breath. He'd been directionless most of his life, but he'd never felt so lost. 'I guess things are different when there's somewhere you actually want to be.'

The clatter of dishes drew his attention, and the scent of someone bustling about in the kitchen made him pause. Clarity struck him, and he found his feet moving of their own accord to the only beacon of hope and comfort he had anymore.

"You missed dinner."

He didn't realize she'd heard him come in. Rubbing awkwardly at the blood stains on his jumpsuit, Inuyasha waited in the entryway of the kitchen to be invited in further. He had no respect for authority, but… Mrs. Higurashi was different. She'd earned his respect, and in her home, he did things on her terms.

Sure enough, she turned a pleasant smile to him and motioned to the table with a kind "Why don't you have a seat? I think I still have some cookies from yesterday…."

He'd never known his mother – she'd been killed before he could talk, and Sesshomaru had never told him anything about her, if he even knew in the first place. The fact that Kagome's mother had always been so warm and welcoming to him meant more than he'd ever bothered to share. If she could help him now though, help him mend the bond he once had with the younger girl… maybe he'd tell her.

A plate of warmed peanut butter cookies was set before him, along with a tall glass of milk, and Mrs. Higurashi seated herself beside him in silence. Fingering one of the cookies, appetite suddenly gone, Inuyasha waited on pins and needles for her to say something. His eyes were fixed ahead, unable and unwilling to turn and see whether or not she knew. In her usual fashion, she beat him to the punch.

"Kagome had some interesting news today."

He tensed, unable to respond. He dropped the cookie before he turned it to crumbs, brushing his hands nervously on his already filthy clothes.

"She told me she has a boyfriend now. And that you already knew."

Inuyasha didn't realize he was growling until a soft hand on his arm made him stop. He turned to look sheepishly at Mrs. Higurashi who was giving him an indulgent smile. "Inuyasha, what happened? I'm guessing you two must have argued, seeing as you didn't have dinner with us. And… for someone in a new relationship, Kagome seemed awfully upset."

As if he didn't already feel bad enough…. "Yeah… I guess we argued. Though… we didn't really say much."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

It was like a dam was broken. He'd wanted her advice from the start, and the honesty behind her tone only made it worse. "She just showed up with him, no warning, and I thought he was just a friend, but then… but then she up and kissed the bastard, and it made me furious…. I know I don't got a reason to feel that way, but I…. anyways, I rushed the jerk, tried to scare him off, shook him up a bit… I didn't hurt him or nothin', not really. But she was so mad… like she really cared about him, y'know? And she didn't even pause – didn't even need to think about it when she called him her boyfriend! She didn't care what I thought about it, made that perfectly clear. Plus, she… she said… he'd be good for her. With all that's happened. I know what she means. After all the crap that's happened since she met me… she wanted something else. And the worst part is… I get it. I hate it, it's killin' me, but… I understand."

"Does she?"

The question caught him off guard. "Does she what?"

Looking him straight in his yellow eyes, Mrs. Higurashi said firmly "Does she understand? Does she know why you were so upset? Does she understand what it looked like to you, or what you thought she meant by it? There are a lot of assumptions there, Inuyasha, and before you let them get you down, I think you'd better ask her yourself."

He gaped at her, growling incredulously "How the hell d'you suggest I do that? She won't wanna see me… not after what I did."

"And what was that?"

Her patient, ever accepting tone broke through his defenses. He hated himself, figured that most everyone hated him too… but somehow he knew that this woman wouldn't hate him. In her nurturing, mothering way… she couldn't.

"I did a hit job for Sesshomaru. I went and killed a demon."

It was such a normal thing in the world he came from; gang wars ruled the demon communities hidden in all the backstreets. He knew it was different for humans. He knew it repulsed and scared them, and Inuyasha hated how he felt every time he had to remind them of his dark reality. But Mrs. Higurashi didn't gasp or shudder, only placed a warm hand on top of his.

"He was threatening to expose us all. I guess he was sick of hiding – they all are. He'd hurt some humans, and planned on hurting more… but that's not really an excuse. Just goes to show that I'm as bad for Kagome as she thinks I am." His shoulders slumped, and in a broken voice he choked "I can't ask her to take back a monster like me, but… gods, I need her with me. I need to be there for her… and I need to know she's there for me too."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

He spun round in a blur, shocked beyond hell to have missed her presence. Maybe it was the strong smell of peanut butter, or her mother sitting beside him, but somehow he'd completely missed Kagome's entrance. How long she'd stood there, or how much she'd heard… he had no idea.

His amber gaze drank in her disheveled appearance, eyes red and hair mussed from her pillow. Her body draped against the doorframe as though it were the only thing keeping her grounded, and she looked just as lost as he'd earlier felt. The urge to go to her, to hold her and be her rock, almost brought him up from his chair until she spoke again.

"I didn't think you'd care. My friends said… everything you've done till now, it seemed like you were pushing me away, so I thought… I thought I'd step away on my own, to save you the trouble."

Swallowing back a lump in his throat, Inuyasha said hoarsely "Kagome…"

But she cut in almost desperately "It's okay. I know I… shouldn't have made that decision for you. It's just… it seemed pretty hopeless."

Hopeless… he knew that feeling only too well. It killed him to think he'd made Kagome feel it, all because he couldn't ever say what needed saying. But he'd change that. Dammit all, he wouldn't leave her doubting again.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't know who was more surprised: the older woman sitting beside him, the girl at which he'd directed the words, or himself. No way was he taking it back though.

"For yelling at you, for scaring off that little punk, for running off and not explaining… for being a worthless street-fighter who ain't worth your time. I'm sorry."

Inuyasha was sure he imagined the slight quirk to her lip, the very beginnings of a soft smile. Her eyes glanced to her mother beside him, and a meaningful nudge was all it took to get him out of his seat and crossing the room to where he really wanted to be. He stood awkwardly before her, too close for friends, but unsure of what else to do. She didn't give him much time to think before closing the distance and wrapping her arms around him with an affirming squeeze.

"You're worth so much more than you realize, Inuyasha. Don't let anyone tell you differently. I didn't mean to make you think otherwise, and I'm sorry for that. We'll work this out, but in the meantime… thank you. For coming back."

"Stupid" he said softly, returning the embrace with fervor, "As if you could get rid of me."

* * *

*Author's Note:

This one is set before the previous – it's referenced in the first chapter, where it talks about Inuyasha's first show of jealousy. They haven't really admitted to anything yet, but they're a little more exclusive now.

The title for this chapter is from Miike Snow's song "Genghis Khan" which is awesome and which actually inspired this whole au. When I heard that song the only thing I could picture was delinquent Inuyasha bloodying up people who got too close to his girl, and like… finally I get to write a chapter about it. :3 Not that I really want him to be that much of a possessive jerk… luckily his possessiveness is tempered by the fact that he's actually a really good guy. But still, this universe is rougher and grittier than the normal one, so he reflects that.

As always, thanks for reading, and thanks so much for the continued support! 3


	5. Rumors

~The Delinquent Boyfriend~

Chapter Five: Rumors

* * *

"I don't believe it – there's no way someone like Higurashi would be dating a gang member!"

Yuka shrugged, turning back to her textbook with indifference; she'd come to the library to study, not to gossip about her friend.

Her study partner was persistent though, leaning across the table to hiss "C'mon Yuka, you must know something! You and Ayumi and Eri spend the most time with her, so if anyone knows, it's gotta be you! Spill!"

"Setsuko, it's not really any of your business" Yuka snapped, looking around furtively for listening ears before whispering, "Did you ever stop to think that the rumors are there for a reason? If Kagome really wanted to clear things up and set the record straight, she would."

Raising a thin eyebrow, Setsuko muttered back "So… she wants people to know about them? Or… is she just covering for something else?"

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Yuka set back to studying. She'd only just met her friend's mysterious boyfriend, and there were still plenty of questions left unanswered. At least she knew now that he wasn't mistreating her friend as she'd once feared, but she got the sense that there was something else about the white-haired man that Kagome wasn't telling them… something that went beyond gang violence and relationship drama. She respected Kagome's privacy on the matter… and she didn't appreciate other people nosing in on it.

"Hm. So that's it."

Yuka didn't look up from her book, nervously awaiting Sestuko's theory.

"There's no boyfriend at all, is there? She's just spreading the rumor for attention."

At Yuka's frustrated sigh, Setsuko said in triumph "I knew it! She really _is_ just sick all the time isn't she, and she makes up these stories to make herself feel important! Yuka, you don't have to keep covering for her – it's totally obvious!"

"Oh is it?" Yuka's response was punctuated by the sharp snap of her textbook, causing Setsuko and a few surrounding students to jump. "And just how much time do you spend with Kagome? I think I'd know a little more about it than you would."

Setsuko opened her mouth to snap back, but Yuka stepped all over whatever retort she'd prepared. "Just because Kagome's the center of everyone's attention now and you're not, doesn't mean you get to make petty little accusations. And another thing!" She held up an authoritative finger, and Setsuko's mouth snapped shut as she continued "I know you think your boyfriend is the hottest thing in the school, and 'doesn't everyone want to be Setsuko', but your Daisuke's a pathetic loser compared to Kagome's boyfriend. He'd snap the both of you in half." The scraping of her chair as she gathered her things and stood broke the silence following those words, and she turned back one last time to see Setsuko gaping like a carp, looking absolutely incensed. With a final victorious smirk, Yuka threw out "Y'know, I kinda hope you meet him someday. I'm sure he'd love an encore of all those things you said about Kagome."

* * *

"Yuka, do you have any idea what's up with Setsuko?"

Giving Kagome her best look of confused innocence, Yuka responded airily "Beats me! I just talked to her a couple days ago in the library, and she seemed fine!"

Kagome hummed in concern, tearing her gaze away from the girl a few seats away who was glaring at her with a mix of anger and subtle fear. She missed the catlike grin of victory on Yuka's face as she turned back to her notebook, jotting down the last notes from the board before the bell rang to end the day. She was hoping Inuyasha would visit today, but after spending the whole afternoon with her and her friends only yesterday, Kagome guessed he probably wanted some time to himself. Though, there was still the chance he'd slip into her window once everyone else had gone to bed….

She bit her lip to hold back a blushing smile, hastily packing up her things as the final bell rang. By the time they met up with Ayumi and Eri in the hall, Kagome's mind was miles away, all thoughts of Setsuko's glares and her friends' laughter drowned in the sea of warm feelings she always got when she thought about her delinquent love.

Kagome was so caught up in her sea of white and gold that she missed the growing group crowded around the front gates. It was only at Yuka's persistent shaking and excited whispers of "Kagome, look! Look!" that she noticed foot traffic had stopped. Craning her neck to peer over her classmates' heads, she caught a glimpse of red bandana and silver hair, and suddenly she was pushing her way to the front of the crowd, breaking through to see her boyfriend leaning moodily against the wall.

He glanced her way, those bright amber eyes making her breath catch, his fanged smirk making the captured air escape her in a shaky sigh. Giving him a quick once-over, she noticed that even without his customary purple jumpsuit, the wife-beater top and baggy jeans made him look as much of a thug as ever – and she loved it. She tried to slow her approach as much as she could, but found herself almost tripping over her feet to reach him anyways. He was ready to catch her though, wrapping one arm around her possessively and pressing his lips beside her ear with a husky whisper of "Hey".

"What are you doing here?" She whispered back, her fingers itching to trace the contours of his chest through the white cotton of his tank; she held back valiantly, but determined to keep him in that getup long enough to indulge herself later. "Isn't it dangerous for you to be walking about like this? Isn't it 'blowing cover' or something?"

He gave her a quick, reassuring squeeze, but his expression turned serious as he muttered "I got business here."

"Business? Wha…" she followed his gaze across the courtyard to where her friends were gathered near the front, Setsuko standing beside them with her jaw nearly on the floor. She didn't even have time to wonder why Yuka seemed to be pointing rather animatedly to the gaping girl before Inuyasha was in front of them.

Kagome rushed to intercept, but found herself drawing back as Inuyasha loomed tall and imposing over her shocked classmate.

"You Setsuko?" His tone was abrupt and held a harsh undercurrent, but Setsuko either didn't pick it up or didn't care as her eyelashes fluttered and she tucked a strand of silky black hair behind her ear. Kagome watched in growing irritation as the other schoolgirl gazed over the leanly muscled half-demon, her eyes lingering in places they shouldn't have for far too long.

Looking back up at the towering man with long silver hair, Setsuko responded in her flirtiest tone possible "I see you've already heard of me… but I didn't catch your name."

Kagome was relieved to see that Inuyasha wasn't even trying to hide his disgust with the girl, and she wondered how Setsuko could be ignoring it so blindly. "I ain't gonna waste my name on someone like you" he growled, and surprise flitted across the girl's face before him, "but I am gonna say this: if I _ever_ hear of you badmouthing my girl again, _you'll_ be the one missing school after I send ya to the hospital."

Murmurs and gasps broke out over the crowd still gathered to watch the confrontation, and Setsuko visibly wilted. Inuyasha turned piercing yellow eyes then to the skinny boy standing beside her, barking out "You her boyfriend?" The boy in question barely had time to nod before Inuyasha had him in a firm grip by his collar, saying with surprising cool "You should work harder at keeping your girl happy so she don't feel the need to tear into other people's girls." The young man swallowed hard, his expression petrified, and Inuyasha released him with a shove and murmured "Pathetic..."

Sparing another glance at Setsuko, Inuyasha growled in irritation, waving his arm at her stupefied boyfriend and shouting over his shoulder "And do somethin' with her before I lose it!" He turned to grab Kagome around the waist, herding her away from the gathered students and mumbling under his breath "She keeps starin' at me like I'm a juicy steak or somethin'."

"Well you sort of are…" she said with a smirk, her boyfriend scoffing in response. Kagome glanced over Inuyasha's arm as they walked away, noticing her three friends tagging along after them and Setsuko's fuming face as she watched them go. She still wasn't sure what had happened back there, or why Inuyasha had felt the need to chew her classmate out. Usually she got along well with Setsuko… but then she remembered the way the other girl had sized up her half-demon, as if he were on the menu and she could have a bite, and suddenly the reasons didn't matter so much. Locking eyes boldly with the other girl, her arm wrapped behind his back, and she slipped a bold hand into the back pocket of his jeans. Setsuko's livid features grew even redder in a futile sort of fury as Inuyasha's clawed hand slid down Kagome's hip to her skirt-clad bottom and reciprocated with a squeeze.

Satisfied with the victory of her petty revenge, she turned back just in time to see her delinquent boyfriend give a proud thumbs up to Yuka. Brow arching amusedly, Kagome intoned suspiciously "Are either of you going to tell me what happened back there?"

"Don't worry 'bout it" Inuyasha groused, his had firmly grasping her waist again as he walked her home.

"I think I have a right to know why I just made mortal enemies of my classmate."

The delinquent scoffed, but he looked down at her with surprising sincerity and said loud enough for the other girls to hear "Your friends ain't half bad, Kagome. Just stick with them and leave everyone else to me. You don't gotta be worried when I'm around."

Kagome smiled, leaning further against him as they walked at an easy pace, her hand still comfortably situated in its new favorite spot in his back pocket. "I know, Inuyasha, I know."

* * *

*Author's Note:

I just have to say, "Inuyasha showing up at Kagome's school and drawing a crowd and getting drooled over" is one of my absolute favorite InuKag fanfic tropes, and I just had to take a go at it. I thought it worked well in this universe, and I love me some petty jealous Kagome, so I couldn't help myself. Also, any chance I get to write Kagome's friends as actual friends, I take it. Her friends were only ever against Inuyasha because of Kagome complaining about him - once they actually met him, they did a total 180, and it's the the same way in this au. However in this au, they actually hang out with him and Kagome from time to time. I feel like they kinda take it upon themselves to be the 'Kagome Protection Squad' even though she doesn't actually need it half the time. She can take care of herself for sure, but they all just really love her so they can't help it.


	6. Guard Dog

~The Delinquent Boyfriend~

Chapter Six: Guard Dog

* * *

"Sooo-to Me-zaaameruuuu…"

Eri sang emphatically to the words streaming across the bright screen before her, jostling elbows with Yuka for a better position. She'd been waiting eagerly for her turn at the karaoke machine, but it wasn't because of the song.

It had been Yuka to first suggest an outing to the karaoke parlor, and though that was nothing new for the four friends, suggesting a group date was surprising. Yuka already had a boy she'd been flirting with from the grade above them, and by the end of the week she'd invited him along. Ayumi was going with someone from the class down the hall, a stalky boy with a friendly smile named Hideki. Kagome of course was bringing her delinquent boyfriend.

And Eri… Eri had no one to bring. She wasn't as forward as Yuka, or sweet and charming like Ayumi, and she hadn't had her eye on anyone to begin with. But leaving her dateless didn't sit well with Yuka, and before Eri could protest she'd asked her upperclassman date to bring a friend along.

'I can't really blame Yuka for this' Eri mused, watching her brown-haired friend out of the corner of her eye as they followed the karaoke lyrics, 'she tried her best to get me a good date.' Eri had been there when she'd made the call, had listened closely as Yuka gave strict instructions to her date Shigeo to pick the _best_ friend he had: someone caring and considerate and down to earth and _worthy_. Eri had to assume Shigeo just didn't _know_ people like that, because the friend he'd brought – Taro – had been a nightmare from the moment he'd pompously introduced himself.

She'd barely gotten her name out when he waltzed forward and wrapped a familiar arm around her shoulders, leaning her into him and teasing "Ooh, so this one's mine, right?" Eri had flushed and stammered, too uncomfortable to do much else. Shigeo had laughed with his friend and ushered them into the karaoke café, and Eri had rushed inside without seeing anyone's reactions.

They'd booked a private room, and as various members of the party went up to perform their chosen songs, the rest sat and ate pizza, and Eri found more trouble. Taro seemed determined to invade her space at every possible moment or make uncomfortable comments that had her blushing from horrified embarrassment. She tried so many times to escape him by chatting with her friends, going so far as to get up from her seat to sit by them, but inevitably one of their songs would come up, and they'd leave her unknowingly once again at the mercy of her date from hell.

She'd managed to escape momentarily in her own karaoke song with Yuka, but she could tell they were reaching the end, and she glanced away from the screen nervously to see Taro watching her intently, his eyes leering. Eri faltered on the chorus, and caught the slightest glimpse of Yuka looking her way in concern, before they were both back to the song, finishing it in a flourish. She walked back to her seat with all the soberness of a funeral march, in spite of the applause of their group. She didn't even look at Taro as she fell back against the plush seating, reaching for her fruit soda before the upperclassman could try and engage her in conversation. It didn't work.

"Damn, you know, you've got some moves for a Junior. Makes me wish I'd picked a couple songs for you to perform. Perhaps you can give me a little show later." He was leaning over her now, despite the distance between them, while Eri shrunk away. Her mind buzzed, desperately searching for some means of escape, but all the other couples were occupied and not paying attention to her. Yuka and Shigeo were browsing the karaoke catalogue for more songs, Ayumi and Hideki were feeding each other bites of their desserts and hardly seemed to notice anyone else existed. Last she'd seen, Kagome had been doggedly trying to get Inuyasha to sing a song with her, and Inuyasha had been even more doggedly digging in his heels.

Eri tried to ignore her looming date and glanced to where Kagome was seated not far from her. All seemed normal at first; they were speaking tensely, or maybe just arguing quietly, and though Kagome's hand at first seemed pressed to her boyfriend's jacket in a loving manner, it didn't take long for Eri to notice the slight strain on it and realized that she was pushing him back. She was about to turn away and leave the couple to whatever little spat it seemed they were having, when she noticed those strange yellow eyes of the biracial boy dragging away from Kagome every now and then to glare at Taro.

Suddenly that bright glare fell to Eri and became softer, and far too knowing, and she had to look away before he saw just how much she'd been suffering all night. It was strange: even though all she'd wanted since they walked into that room was to be rescued from the man beside her, she couldn't bear the thought now of involving anyone else. Inuyasha had become a good friend, but she wouldn't get him or Kagome mixed up in this and ruin their nights too. After all, what could they do? She'd just have to suck it up and hope this creep didn't follow her home.

"C'mon Eri-chan" Taro's voice crooned too close to her ear, "why don't we ditch these kids and go have our own party? I got karaoke back at my place too!"

"That's it."

Eri blinked – although she'd been thinking the same, those words hadn't come from her. She tilted her head away from the hot breath against her cheek to see Inuyasha pushing off from the padded bench and circling the table to approach them. She sat immobilized as his hulking shoulders blocked the view of Ayumi and Hideki singing a ballad, the tendons in his arms coming into sharp focus as his clenched fists rose to the fabric of Taro's collar. Seizing handfuls of fabric, he hauled the gaping highschooler to his feet and ushered him to the door with a hand gripping the back of his neck. A wordless pop song filled the room as the door of their lounge slammed shut and the rest of the room fell dead silent.

"Uh… he uh… men's room. Showing him where the men's room is. Yeah."

Hideki and Shigeo weren't as easily bought by Kagome's hurried explanation as she'd hoped. Ayumi's date looked ready to call for help, and Taro's friend seemed to be considering going to his rescue; they didn't know who Higurashi's strange date was, but between the two men, he seemed most likely to cause trouble. Luckily, their dates knew better.

"Yamazaka-san, our song is up! C'mon!" Yuka pulled Shigeo to his feet before he could give the door another glance and pushed the microphone into his hesitant hands. Ayumi and her singing partner retreated to their seats to let the next performers have their turn, returning to a dessert soda with two straws and quickly forgetting everyone else.

Beside Eri, Kagome let out a sigh and slumped against the cushions. "Sorry about that," she said finally, in a soft tone that Eri could barely pick up over the karaoke, "Inuyasha gets very… _ticked off_ by guys like that." Uncertain eyes met and Kagome added in an even softer voice "You don't mind, do you?"

"To be honest, it's a relief" Eri whispered back, letting a tiny smile curl her lip. Kagome returned the expression, and for the first time that night, things were looking up. Still… "I'll be right back – bathroom. If my song comes on, you take it, 'kay?"

Kagome nodded brightly, and Eri slipped from the room without another word, passing the bathrooms completely and exiting the café to greet the chilly night air. She stood in the dark for a few moments, listening and rubbing away the goosebumps from her arms – and then she heard it: dull thwacks coming from the alleyway beside the café, followed by pathetic groans. Hurrying to the edge of the building, Eri strained to hear the faint strains of conversation just barely echoing above the rustle of trash as the occupants moved about.

"Well bastard? You got anything to say for yourself?" It was Inuyasha, his voice dropped to a register Eri had never heard before. A chill ran up her arms again, but not from the cold.

"What the hell, man?" Taro answered back, sounding somewhat slurred, "What's your deal? I was just flirting!" There was a thudding sound and a sharp gasp from Taro, before he spit out "Seriously! Why do you even care? You've got your own girl."

"I care 'cause my girl happens to be friends with her, and in case you didn't notice, your date didn't think much of your flirting. She was trying to get away from you the whole night."

Taro scoffed, and Eri clenched her teeth at his dismissive attitude. "That's just playin' hard to get." Her mouth gaped at those words, fingers clenching her short skirt in a silent rage as she brewed over what to do, but Taro kept talking. "Guess _you_ wouldn't know what that's like though."

"… Whaddaya mean by that?"

"I mean Higurashi's gotta be some easy chick to want to date a gang-banger-GCK!" The slap of something heavy against a solid surface filled the night air, and Eri couldn't help peeking around the corner to see what had happened. Inuyasha had Taro pinned to the alley wall by two handfuls of his brand-name jacket, bared teeth gleaming in the slight light from the business signs on the street.

"You listen here, Jack-ass" the delinquent snarled, "you just try'n insult Kagome again. I dare ya."

Taro didn't respond. Eri couldn't tell if he was unable to simply from lack of courage or lack of breath. Slamming him once more against the wall, Inuyasha let the teenager drop to a heap among the trashcans and kicked him sharply as he stumbled to his feet and fled. Plastering herself out of sight and out of the way of the fleeing Taro, Eri bit her lip lest she make a noise and give herself away. She couldn't help watching though as her ex-date tripped out onto the street and walked unsteadily away to the bus stop, rubbing his head and dragging his feet slightly as though fighting a limp. She didn't notice when a figure emerged from the alley to stand beside her.

"You shoulda told us he was buggin' ya. We woulda sent him off sooner."

She only jumped slightly at the gruff voice of her friend's boyfriend, and glanced up sheepishly to see Inuyasha watching Taro leave. Eri didn't have a response for him; he was right of course, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She pursed her lips and kept silent.

The sudden sigh from her companion nearly made her jump again, and Inuyasha turned to face her with something bordering on embarrassment. "Look," he started haltingly, "what I said to him… 'bout why I did that… I know you were listening."

"Y-you knew?"

He nodded, but shook a hand dismissively as she opened her mouth to say more. "It ain't important how, I just wanted to say… I'm your friend too, alright?"

That made Eri pause, uncertain what had prompted such a confession from the 'tough guy'.

"I know I said I did it 'cause Kagome's your friend, but we're friends too, right? And I ain't gonna let some punk like that mess you up, you got it?" His odd yellow eyes were strangely luminous, looking more vulnerable and sincere than Eri had ever seen them. She wondered briefly if he had other friends, or if it really were just she and Kagome and Yuka and Ayumi… and suddenly she felt a weight of responsibility on her shoulders. He was trusting her with his friendship. After all he'd done for her tonight, she couldn't help but do the same in return.

"It's fine Inuyasha, I get it. Sorry I didn't say anything earlier, but I didn't want to ruin your night with Kagome." He rolled his eyes, and Eri was happy to see he'd accepted her apology. "You think this is the end of the night for us?" he shot back with a smirk, "If you'da told me sooner, we coulda thrown the bastard out, ditched the rest of you, and me and her woulda just gone back home!"

Eri let out a scandalized squeal and hid her grin behind a hand. "Ooh, I'm telling Kagome-chan on you! You were just getting rid of Taro so you could have an excuse to end the party! You've been trying to get back to Kagome-chan's _room_ all night, haven't you?" She giggled harder as the gang member sputtered and flushed. For someone who wore his bad rep with pride, he was awfully easy to fluster.

He breezed past her, holding the door of the karaoke bar ajar and glaring at her expectantly. "C'mon, before they send a search party." Shaking her head in amusement, Eri led the way back to the lounge to find their friends sitting and chatting in their absence. The boys gave the two of them accusing looks as she and Inuyasha entered together, but she was relieved to see Kagome smiling understandingly.

Inuyasha was at her side immediately, sending warning glares over the tops of their heads to the boys who still looked wary.

Leaning toward her, Kagome whispered "We can take you home, if you want," but Eri shook her head quickly. "It's okay, really!" She glanced quickly around the room, noting that the monitor with the Karaoke selections was still running. "Actually… do you mind if I take another turn? I didn't really get to enjoy it earlier." Kagome's smile spread across her face as she practically pushed Eri enthusiastically towards the machine.

She'd just picked her next song when an indignant stutter sounded behind her, and she turned to see Inuyasha glowering at her in betrayal. Eri only grinned back and shrugged. He'd just have to wait a little longer to get his 'alone time' with Kagome – she was going to enjoy her night first.

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*Author's Note:

Short little chapter, I know, I just really like Inuyasha being friends with these girls, and I feel like he'd look out for them like he does for Kagome - only when Kagome's involved, things get a LOT more violent.

Maybe next time I update this it'll be some more InuKag steaminess

also the Karaoke song at the beginning is "My Will" (the first Inuyasha ending) because it's the best


	7. In Hot Water

~The Delinquent Boyfriend~

Chapter Seven: In Hot Water

(Rating for this chapter is bumped up to **M** for language and suggestiveness)

* * *

Kagome awoke to her softly lit ceiling wondering what had drawn her from her cozy cocoon of sleep. She responded to the familiar sound of her ringing alarm clock before she could even register what she was hearing, all while trying to grasp what her hazy dreams had been about. She'd been home alone, thinking of Inuyasha… and like magic he'd appeared, hands reaching for her and lips drawn to hers like magnets. Kagome bit her lip in a grin as she remembered her 'dream Inuyasha' responding to her requests for more, and more, until they were both tangled together with nothing between them but sheets and skin.

She closed her eyes, trying to savor the last remnants of the dream and force her body to recreate the feel of him… when suddenly she did feel him. There was a pressing weight all along her left side, a constricting presence across her waist, and something wedged between her legs. The realization that she was feeling someone else's warm skin against her own warm skin was enough to shut her brain off for a good few minutes. When the expanding chest pressed against her side confirmed the presence was real and not a remnant of sleep, Kagome dared turn her head.

Pinched brows and a pronounced frown weren't exactly the expression she was hoping to see on his face, but it was really Inuyasha in the – quite literally – flesh. She squirmed in a fit of awkward nerves, not having a clue how to approach the situation they'd landed themselves in. It wasn't as though she regretted any of it, but… oh hell, it had really happened, hadn't it? What was she supposed to do now?

It seemed squirming was the wrong choice, as Inuyasha's frown turned slightly panicked and he whimpered, his eyes still shut tight. "Oi" he managed to bark through his hoarse morning voice, "Knock it off for a sec, would ya?" She froze, startled into stillness as he moved slightly away, and she realized that the weight pressed between her legs was his muscled thigh. In his efforts to retreat, his bare thigh brushed the juncture at her hips, and she gasped at the shiver it sent throughout her entire body. Inuyasha tensed, his breath stilling in his lungs as his golden eyes blinked open to stare intently at her shocked expression.

"You… you ain't angry about this, are ya?" At first Kagome wasn't sure what to say. Should she be angry? Had he done something to deserve such an emotion? Wracking her foggy brain for all they'd said and done the night before, Kagome reached a conclusion. Pursing her lips, she scooted a little closer against his warm body, watching boldly as his eyes widened and his mouth fell open in a quiet gasp.

"I wasn't angry before, was I?" she reasoned, and Inuyasha had no retort. His jaw snapped shut and he swallowed hard, but still seemed unwilling to make a move. Kagome smiled, remembering how his hesitance had been chipped away last night in his urgency to learn her body. Perhaps he just needed a reminder now….

The hand lying limp at her side moved beneath the blanket still shielding her from the air-conditioned room, skimming over the arm that lay draped over her waist. Following a path over his shoulder, up his neck, through the hair growing where human ears would have been, her fingers finally found their destination. Inuyasha's stare dropped to half-lidded contentment as Kagome stroked and rubbed his fuzzy ears. A rumble in the back of his throat built to a guttural moan as he leaned over Kagome, replacing his leg between hers and fitting his mouth to her grinning lips.

His languorous kiss was so sweet and lingering that Kagome might have spent the whole morning in bed that way, pressed under his weight; but the weight of his hips pressed a little too firmly against an area that, before last night, was not used to such strain. She winced unknown to the half-demon above her, but when his next moan was punctuated by a subtle thrust, she couldn't keep back a pained hiss. He retreated to her side so fast she wondered if she'd dreamed his body on hers.

"Aw shit – Kagome, I'm sorry, I forgot!" He was stumbling between curses and apologies, and Kagome had to press her fingers to his mouth to stop the dribble.

"Inuyasha, relax. This happens. I'll adjust." Wiggling slightly to test just how sore she was, Kagome released a sigh from grimacing lips and glanced over at her clock. Despite the ache between her legs, she wouldn't have traded their first time together for anything, even if it was a little… rough. It might have been wise though not to do it on a school night – the chairs at school would _not_ be forgiving.

Turning her face back to the sheepish expression on her boyfriend's face, Kagome gave him a soft smile and brought a hand up to stroke through the hair falling down the side of his face. "Hey, quit worrying, really!" His lip quirked in an attempt to smile, but he couldn't hold it for long. "I was too rough, huh?" Kagome hid a laugh, bringing a finger to her chin in thought. "Oh, I don't know if I'd put it that way… You could just say I'm…" her eyes lifted to his as she finished with a mischievous grin "thoroughly fucked."

His eyes grew wide, and his fangs peaked out in a broad smirk as he said huskily "Oh I'm a bad influence on ya, that's for sure. What would your schoolmates think of that mouth of yours?" Said mouth was quickly captured in a searing kiss, but Kagome pulled away with a laugh before Inuyasha could resume his position above her.

"Speaking of school," she mumbled as she slipped away and off the bed, "I've got to shower and get ready. And you're making me late." Inuyasha didn't look the least bit apologetic as he watched her wander to the pile of clothes on the floor, his eyes attentively following her naked form. Fishing out Inuyasha's white undershirt, Kagome slipped it over her head and gathered up her laundry as well as his, muttering about washing their clothes while she showered. Following her lead, Inuyasha left the warmth of her pink blankets and sidled up beside her, wordlessly taking the boxers she handed him and pulling them on. He noticed she hadn't bothered to put anything on under his shirt.

"C'mon bad-boy" she teased, "let's go get cleaned up before my family's awake. I bet that hot water's gonna feel so nice…." Kagome closed her eyes and sighed pleasantly, but her eyes popped open and a squeak left her mouth as she was suddenly hoisted off her feet into strong arms.

Her questioning eyes met the amused gold of her delinquent love, and he shrugged under her light weight. "Can't let you just walk around when you're so sore." The apples of her cheeks pushed up in a smile, and Kagome let the laundry fall in her lap as she looped her arms around her boyfriend's neck, nuzzling against his bare chest.

Checking to see that they had their dirty clothes as well as clean ones to change into, Inuyasha carefully pushed open the door of Kagome's room and crept down the stairs. His sensitive ears detected every creak before it could sound and alert the sleeping family members. Usually his hyper-sensitive nose would be enough to ensure they were undetected, but it was a little… distracted by the lingering scents of their… activities. A shower was in everyone's best interests at this point, even if he really didn't mind the smell currently invading his nose. He would just have to recreate that scent combination with her later. Maybe she wouldn't be so sore anymore tonight….

Kagome could hardly remember the soreness between her legs as her half-demon carried her through the silent house. His warm skin and the movement of muscle underneath were giving her wonderful flashbacks to the night before, and almost without knowing her fingers began to trace his neck and collarbones. She turned her head to press her lips to his chest, and felt him suck in a breath. "Inuyasha," she whispered, "wanna join me in the bath?" Her head was growing fuzzy as his claws began to stroke her thighs, sending shivers all the way to her toes. "I set my alarm early – my family shouldn't be up for another hour at least."

He hummed, considering, and she smiled victoriously. She felt his arm move to push open the door to the kitchen, through which the laundry-room and bath were accessed – and then he tensed to perfect stillness beneath her. Kagome paused, confused at his sudden shift in demeanor, and lifted her head to see him staring with horrified eyes into the room beyond. Before she could turn her head to follow the same path, she heard a sound that froze her into the same catatonic state as her dog-eared boyfriend.

"Good morning you two."

There at the kitchen table, still in her pajamas and sipping at a cup of tea, was her mother. Her mother, staring right at them with the most knowing and unnerving look Kagome had ever seen. A million thoughts rushed through Kagome's mind in the space of a second: she'd been caught by her mother in her boyfriend's arms, her boyfriend wearing nothing more than boxers and her in his shirt from the day before, with her thighs sticky and her hips aching and probably more than a few hickeys spotting her neck. There was no way to hide it. Her mother would know – her mother would know that they'd – oh, what would she think of her!

Kagome could do little more than gape at the woman like a fish, and Inuyasha had yet to even breathe, his face paling with each passing second. Mrs. Higurashi had always liked the boy, and only ever encouraged Kagome's relationship with him, but… well, 'sex on a school night' had never really come up in their previous conversations.

Taking pity on the two terrified teens, Mrs. Higurashi gestured toward the door to the washroom and said in an unreadable tone "Drop off your laundry, and Inuyasha, you can use the shower first. I'd like to talk to Kagome." It took another moment before either one dared move, but sensing that the woman wouldn't jump and attack, Inuyasha set Kagome on her feet, gathered the dirty clothes from her, and slipped quickly through the doorway.

Holding her bundle of clean clothes tightly to her chest, Kagome took the seat opposite her mother and set her eyes firmly on the floor.

"Kagome," the older woman said softly, but Kagome couldn't face her just yet. She tried again, her voice slightly stronger this time as she called to the girl, and Kagome's sheepish gaze finally met her mother's, only to see a smile. "Kagome, I'm not mad at you. Well, I do have a few things to say, but I'm not going to yell." The girl nodded, forcing herself to look her mother in the eye as she waited for what she was sure would be a storm. Of course her mother wouldn't _yell_ , but that didn't mean she wouldn't be harsh.

They both heard the sudden rush of water from the shower, and Mrs. Higurashi's smile widened. "Hopefully that'll keep him from overhearing. I figured it would be best to talk to you first, and let him worry for a while. Can't let him off the hook that easily!" She giggled as Kagome tried and failed to find the humor in the situation. She wished she could go hide in the washroom too. "Honestly Kagome, I figured this would happen eventually. I know what you two mean to each other."

Kagome was startled at the confession – this wasn't what she had expected at all!

"However," Her mother continued, her voice taking on a stern edge, "now that your relationship with him has reached the next stage, we need to set some house rules." A sinking feeling settled in the young girl's gut – as close as she was with her mother, this wasn't the sort of thing she _ever_ wanted to talk about. "First of all, no sex on school nights. I know you've already broken this, but let's start fresh, shall we?" She smiled, and Kagome gave her a pained smile in return. This was, after all, a rule she'd already been considering that morning. "Second, no sex when your brother is in the house please. We were all out last night, which was fine, but just for future reference. I don't want him accidentally seeing or hearing anything that's going to be… scarring, to say the least. Alright?" Kagome nodded emphatically, unwilling to join the conversation with words but all in favor of keeping her little brother far away from her love-life.

"Other than that," her mother continued, her cheery attitude returning as she leaned back casually in her chair, "it's between you and Inuyasha how you proceed. I want you two to think about your futures of course, and be careful not to be too rash about things, but… somehow, I get the feeling you're in this for the long haul. Of course, things can always change, but –"

"I don't want them to" Kagome blurted out, suddenly finding the words for her feelings. Fervent eyes sought out her mother's, and she repeated "I don't want things to change – I mean, I want to be with him. For a long time." She smiled a bit, and added wistfully "forever, if I can."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded, a gentle smile gracing her lips. Silence stretched between them, but without the awkwardness of before. The sound of running water ceased, and Kagome's mother jerked her head in the direction of the washroom, saying "Your turn now. Send the poor boy in here, but let him know he's not in trouble. I'll fix you both some breakfast, and you can wash your clothes."

Kagome rose from her seat, wincing slightly with the movement – the expression didn't go unnoticed. Covering a giggle with her hand, Mrs. Higurashi said lightly "I'll phone your school and tell them you're not feeling well. I'm sure you're not looking forward to sitting on those hard chairs all day!"

Smiling appreciatively, Kagome started toward her mother, eager to give her a thankful hug… but the slip of Inuyasha's shirt against her bare thighs made her pause. Hugs could wait until after she cleaned up. And besides – at that moment, a warm bath sounded divine.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Sooo here's that steamy chapter I promised. It actually wasn't the steamy chapter I had in mind, but it kinda happened accidentally. I'll be doing another (steamier) chapter in honor of Christmas this month, and yes, it will be holiday themed. There will be gift-exchanges and a reappearance of Kagome's friends and maybe even Hojo. I'll be trying to follow what I know of Christmas traditions in Japan, which means it's time to watch the Christmas episodes of my J-dramas (yes I'll actually do real research too). This might not happen until my finals are finished in a couple weeks, but who knows!

Also, I know the timeline on this fic is a little confusing, but this is set before a couple of the other chapters, where it's implied Inuyasha and Kagome already have an intimate relationship. Maybe one day I'll rearrange this fic and put the chapters in the right order :P

Thanks for all the support everyone! Your reviews and faves mean the world to me!


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